Afcon 2023: Increase in prize money key to gap narrowing, says Caf boss Motsepe
An increase in prize money has contributed to the success of lower ranked teams at the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, according to the president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
Patrice Motsepe was speaking ahead of the quarter-finals, which got under way in Ivory Coast on Friday.
A number of pre-tournament favourites suffered early exits including holders Senegal, the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco and former winners Egypt and Algeria.
On the eve of the Nations Cup, Caf announced that the overall winners will pick up $7m in prize money – a 40% increase on the last Afcon.
“Many of the players [at Afcon] don’t earn the same money, and I have learned over the last 20 years, if you increase the money that goes into the pockets of the players, and tell them ‘We have increased the prize money’ it inspires them immensely,” Motsepe told BBC Sport Africa.
“There’s also more money going to academies into football development and some of the results of the investments we can see now but we will see many in future. So the future looks bright.”
A number of so called “smaller” nations produced shock results in Ivory Coast including Namibia who beat Tunisia, Mozambique whose comeback draw led to Ghana’s departure and Equatorial Guinea who stunned the hosts 4-0 in the group phase.
Of the eight quarter-finalists, only four have won the Africa Cup of Nations before, with this tournament producing 105 goals from the 44 games – an Afcon record.
